Alex Reviews "Greenland 2: Migration"

It might be confusing to see a sequel to Greenland after the close of 2020’s biggest surprise hit, but the world is still in environmental chaos and that is only part of the danger. Bunker life is not sustainable and those who can, must find a safe place… IF one even exists.

The super team of Gerard Butler and Ric Roman Waugh are back for their fourth film in just over six years (Angel Has Fallen, Greenland, Kandahar). For Greenland 2: Migration, the team’s calling card of planted narrative moments, intense action, and massive heart is on full display. Even when certain shots make you question something feeling out of place, there is a reason. In spite of those, the world of the film does an excellent job setting its own parameters and rules for “why” where questions could exist. Sometimes subtle and sometimes overt, but there is always the logic setup.

Waugh manages to make grand occurrences blend seamlessly with incredibly intimate emotional moments within small scale scenes. Yes, they made me cry multiple times, but I will leave those experiences to the viewer without spoilers.

While Greenland was almost always Butler at the forefront, Greenland 2: Migration elevates Morena Baccarin to his equal and even surpassing him at times. She does not shy away from her moments and is every bit a hero to the point that I want to see her take on a live action version of her Batman Unburied character or be given the chance to take a star turn similar to Atomic Blonde. She is fierce, heroic, and mother. She dominates every scene she has.

The biggest real gripe for the film isn’t the recasting of Nathan, son of our leads, as Nathan Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit) is phenomenally talented. The writing for the character took a powerful character from the original and excessively watered him down to a non-factor. Davis excelled despite the lacking material.

Where those scenes may be light, Gerard Butler is doing the absolute best acting of his career. Where he has sometimes come across one-dimensional in action roles, he balances his unquestionable presence with the genuine care of a close family member. Despite solid action work, as always, Butler delivers his performance expertly in emotional scenes in harmony with Baccarin becoming a more physical player. A strange parallel I am having difficulty shaking based upon timing would be Michal Caine in The Muppet Christmas Carol. Everything you see says the film should be ridiculous, but this man put his entire soul into this film.

 Greenland 2: Migration is suspenseful and gorgeous in a destroyed beauty way, but the heart it shows in quiet scenes has an impact greater than a comet’s. I hope the film gets plenty of premium format screenings it deserves for the adventure, but it is worth seeing in any theater for the humanity on January 9^th.